For Immediate Release

March 17, 2008

Contact:        Mark Bergman

                202-225-5206 (office)

Congressman Paul Hodes Applauds Conservation Easement for Berlin Wood Pellet Plant

Concord, NH-- Congressman Paul Hodes applauded the preliminary approval of a conservation easement for a new wood pellet plant for the city of Berlin. The state preliminarily approved a 24-acre, offsite conservation easement to offset wetlands that would be affected by the plant's construction.

The decision still needs to obtain final approval by Governor Lynch and the Executive Council. Greenova, LLC is seeking to begin construction on the new plant this summer that will produce 180,000 tons of wood pellets annually. The plant will use 400,000 logs to produce the pellets - enough to give the local logging industry a boost after Fraser Papers closed its pulp mill two years ago.

“I want to commend the state of New Hampshire for providing this conservation easement to help bring more jobs to the people of Northern New Hampshire,” Congressman Paul Hodes said. “This new plant will help families that are struggling with job losses in towns across the North Country.”

Congressman Hodes authored a tax credit for homes that use wood pellet and biomass energy sources that passed out of the House of Representatives. He is currently working on legislation that would provide tax credits for private companies to invest in biomass and other alternative energy sources plentiful in New Hampshire.